Gabriel Medina Goes on Tropical Vacation, Suggesting He Will NOT Surf in the WSL Finals

The 2023 season is over for Gabriel Medina.

At least, so it seems. It came down to the wire, too, with Medina losing to Jack Robinson in the final at the Shiseido Tahiti Pro, effectively forfitting his spot in the WSL Finals.

Medina landed at number six on the rankings, just outside the Final Five bubble. But the question remained: What about an injury replacement for Ethan Ewing?

Doesn’t look likely.

If you’ll recall, Ewing suffered a back-breaking injury during a warm-up session in Tahiti. He withdrew from the competition. However, despite his absence, the Australian surfer retained his spot in the Final Five, ending the year in the number three spot.

And so, with such a serious injury, and should Ewing not be fit to compete at Lower Trestles come September 8th – 16th, wouldn’t the next ranked surfer (Medina) step in?

Nope.

Despite backlash and controversy surrounding the no-injury-replacement-on-Finals-Day decision – “I DEMAND GABRIEL TAKE ETHAN'S SPOT IN FINAL 5," wrote one infuriated commenter – it appears the WSL has remained steadfast.

After the loss at Teahupo’o, Medina seemingly signed off for the season, writing:

“I gave it all, not this time! But I thank God for another opportunity to surf my favorite wave. Thank you all for your constant support and love. We'll come back stronger 🇧🇷🤝 I promise.”

And now, per a new Instagram post, it looks like Medina is already living his best post-season life, vacationing in Bora Bora with his buddies – villas over the ocean, fresh raw fish on ice, ATV excursions, late-night games of pool, and all.

So, no Trestles, no Finals Day, no (potential) fourth World Title for Medina…this year.

What about Ewing? Will he heal up in time for Finals Day? Stay tuned.

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